The unity of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway group was by all accounts relatively short-lived. Despite its size and sheer manpower, its operating profits were relatively disappointing, and it had become widely agreed upon that Britains railway system was in need of further streamlining. Despite having been reduced from more than 120 railways into four, it clearly made sense to run under one simple nationalised railway that could universally manage and maintain almost the entirety of the country’s network. By 1948, merely 25 years after its implementation, the LMS was nationalised, becoming part of the state-owned British Railways, which was later known as British Rail.